This past week was a busy one with a visit to Las Vegas for the Hospitality Design Expo and Conference. Preceding the event was Green Day, an afternoon filled with experts chatting about trends in sustainable development and design. Be sure to check out our coverage from Green Day (see article). I spent most of my time spent at the Expo walking the trade show floor, reconnecting with industry friends and visiting with representatives of companies in attendance for the first time. It was exciting to see so many new vendors offering green products. It would be impossible to mention all of the companies here in one column but I would like to highlight what I saw as innovative.
First of all, I was very excited to learn about Sleep Inc. Based in North Billerica, Mass., it is the first mattress company that I am aware of that will not only take back mattresses for recycling at no cost but that also has its own mattress deconstruction facility (in Texas with a possible Northeast location in the works). Sleep Inc.’s Mark Savel told me that his company makes the equipment used to deconstruct the mattresses. “Out of sight, piece of mind,” is one of Sleep Inc.’s slogans. How can one company manage the collection of mattresses around the United States? Savel says Sleep Inc. works with a company that has a nationwide distribution network of trucks. Sleep Inc.’s mattresses are also greener than most with soy-based eco-friendly foams and wood from sustainable forests.
Cogenra Solar, Mountain View, Calif., was also at HD Expo for the first time. Through deployment of an innovative commercial and industrial solar cogeneration solution that combines PV electric and hot water generation in a single array, Cogenra Solar delivers clean, renewable energy more efficiently and at a lower cost than utility rates. Whereas traditional solar panels allow most of the sun’s energy to dissipate as wasted heat, Cogenra’s proprietary technology efficiently collects and delivers this energy in the form of hot water. According to Cogenra, its system delivers five times the energy output, three times the greenhouse gas reduction and twice the savings of standard photovoltaic panels.
Mattress Encasements from SkyBlue
Lodging industry veteran Petra Michael officially launched her new Las Vegas-based company called SkyBlue. Its aim: “to deliver the first high-performance, fashion-conscious protective bedding technology—expressly designed for the global hospitality and retail markets. Mattress encasements available through SkyBlue feature DreamTec bedding technology that offers protection from bed bugs as well as stains and liquids. DreamTec Eco is made from 75 percent Lyocell and 25 percent poly knitted jersey laminated to a waterproof, bed bug bite proof and dust mite proof polyurethane membrane.
First-time exhibitor Earth’s Friend Furniture featured sustainable solid bamboo furniture with nature-inspired designs. Some of the furniture includes 100 percent hemp fabric. Pieces range from coffee tables to desks to chairs. The company uses only Moso bamboo from sustainably-managed forests.
There were numerous companies on hand offering LED lighting. One first-time HD Expo exhibitor was Matrix Lighting, manufacturer of Viribright LED lamps. It 5W LED lamp is equivalent to a 40W incandescent. Its T8 tube is available in four sizes, using from 10 watts to 25 watts of electricity. Its MR16 LED is the equivalent of a 35W halogen. Matrix Lighting’s products are available in warm, natural and cool light.
Green America Décor, Miami, made its debut at HD Expo. The company offers a portfolio of interior design products including fabrics made with 100 percent recycled content to PVC-free wallcoverings. Green America Décor also offers window treatments, lighting products, carpet, bedding and towels.
Hemp-based Products
EnviroTextiles LLC, Glenwood Springs, Colo., featured its unique line of hemp-based products including hemp fabrics for upholstery and apparel. Working out of an old log church which they have rescued from a state of disrepair, Barbara Filippone, her daughter Summer Star Haeske and their staff design, import and distribute an array of hemp and hemp blend textiles to manufacturers in the United States and abroad.
Also at HD Expo, show veterans Valley Forge Fabrics and InterfaceFLOR made announcements. Valley Forge Fabric launched its newest FRESH innovation, Tencel+Plus Lyocell Eucalyptus Upholstery. This natural fiber has been engineered for the rigors of hospitality upholstery use and is the latest textile to compliment the company’s extensive sustainable fabric collection called FRESH. InterfaceFLOR, LLC officially rolled out its Interface Hospitality division. Dozens of new designs have been added to the initial library of modular carpet tile patterns that specifiers will be able to access when composing a floor covering for their hospitality projects. The product assortment launched includes 79 patterns in the initial DYF Custom Pattern Library, which are classified as either classic, modern, organic, traditional or whimsy.
For a complete list of HD Expo exhibitors, click here.
Green Lodging News Adds Vaska, Skyware as Directory Partners
Green Lodging News welcomes Vaska and Skyware Hospitality Solutions as Green Product & Service Directory partners. Vaska provides green housekeeping and laundry solutions. Vaska’s products are effective at removing dirt, stains and smudges. The three product housekeeping system is simple and easy to use. For laundry, Vaska’s hypo-allergenic, botanical formulations use natural ingredients that provide superior cleaning results without harming the environment, employees, or equipment. For more information, e-mail customerservice@vaskaproducts.com, call (877) 810-1888, or go to www.vaskaproducts.com.
Skyware provides Web-based (or “SaaS”) services that save a lot of extra energy by eliminating the use of on-site computer servers and network equipment. Studies show a 25 to 1 savings in electrical power consumption running Skyware versus running the same applications on premise. Skyware’s Web-based hotel management solution seamlessly integrates property management, online bookings, and marketing all on one single, easy-to-use platform. Call (717) 778-4662 for more information, e-mail sales@skywaresystems.com, or go to www.skywaresystems.com.
Advertising Opportunities
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots. Several new slots have opened up on the Green Lodging News website—two skyscraper ad spots on the right hand side of the site, and the Featured Product ad spot in the weekly newsletter and in the lower center area of the home page. Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com if you are interested in these ad spots. There are also many Green Supplier Spotlight dates available, and other spots on the website and in the weekly e-newsletter. The 2011 media kit is available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
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